Big Provincial Gathering 2026

Thanks to the generosity of sponsors, this year's Big Provincial Gathering brought Province V together in a big way. From July 31–August 1, 2026, 278 attendees representing 24 dioceses gathered at St. Luke's Episcopal Church in Kalamazoo, Michigan, for a "ministry fair" style event built around shared learning, worship, and connection — kicked off by 74 participants who arrived a day early to attend one of five pre-event trainings.

This year's keynote speaker, The Rev. Canon Lorenzo Lebrija, DMin, MBA, executive director of TryTank Research Institute, brought his expertise in innovation and theological research to our plenary session.

Held alongside the Provincial Youth Event, BPG welcomed 70 PYE youth and adult leaders, who spent Thursday and Friday morning in their own programming nearby at First Congregational Church before joining the full gathering for plenary sessions, worship, and workshops.

Our Thursday night welcome event, the Traveling Exhibit: Native Boarding School Survivor Stories of Michigan, created in partnership with the Episcopal Diocese of Northern Michigan and the Beaumier Heritage Center of Northern Michigan University, featured personal witness from Indigenous boarding school survivors in the region, with 135 people in attendance.

The Exhibit Hall in St. Luke's Dining Hall buzzed with activity: 19 exhibitors shared resources and ministry ideas with attendees, Kazoo Books' pop-up bookstore provided a variety of books for purchase, the Resource Trading Table moved 800 books into new hands, and the Sacristy Swap found new homes for 150 liturgical items.

BPG's impact reached beyond St. Luke's walls, too. Attendees repackaged 21,866 diapers to support local families, and 16 beds were built through Partners in Housing Transition, a ministry of host congregation St. Luke's that helps individuals move from homelessness toward stable housing. Attendees assembled 100 menstrual packs for distribution through non-profits for Church World Service.

Province V, the Province V Executive Board, and all 278 attendees are grateful for your generous support.  Thank you for the support that ensured that this event was enjoyed by anyone who wanted to attend, regardless of their role in their local ministry context.